Industrial process and apparatus



Nov. 14, 1967 L mCHMAN 3,352,028

INDUSTRIAL PROCESS AND APPARATUS- Filed March 4, 1966 INVENTOR.

y 26 i9- JAY LRCHMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,352,028 INDUSTRIALPROCESS AND APPARATUS Jay L. Richman, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor toPennsalt Chemicals Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Filed Mar. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 531,898 8 Claims. (Cl. 35-12)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Inner and outer containers are provided witha test object support supported within the inner container by a columnextending through an end wall of the inner container for connection to asupporting spider carried by the outer container, with a bellows sealextending between the end wall and the container.

This invention relates to a double-Walled pressure vessel especiallyadapted for use as a chamber for space simulation.

In such a chamber it is desirable to have the inner container walls of arelatively thin gauge material. This reduces the thermal inertia andhence minimizes the load on the refrigeration equipment provided to.reduce the temperature in the chamber to outer-space levels. The lightgauge inner container is also easy to support in a way which rapidlyaccommodates expansion and contraction. Problems arise in connectionwith such construction, however, because the inner chamber must containrelatively heavy objects which would tax the walls of the inner chamberand probably deform them.

The vessel of the invention provides support means for objects (forinstance, equipment to be observed under space conditions), the supportmeans not transmitting its load to or through the inner container wallin a manner which might deform it.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingspecification including the attached drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic fragmentary sectional view of an apparatusembodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 represents a bottom view of an apparatus embodying theinvention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded elevational view insection;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 2.

Briefly, the invention relates to a double-walled pressure vesselespecially useful for space simulation and having Within it supportmeans for an object to be subjected to such conditions. The weight ofthe support means and object thereon is transmitted in a manner suchthat no substantial weight is borne by the relatively thin wall of theinner container. The invention is useful for a bottom, side or toploading chamber.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, an apparatus embodying theinvention is designated generally 10 in FIGURE 1. It comprises an outercontainer having a peripheral shell 12, 1'6 and an inner containerhaving a peripheral shell 14. These shells have outward flanges 16b and14a, respectively. The outer container has the removable section orspool 16 which may be coupled to the section above it by flanges 12a and16a as shown. A bottom end wall 18 having a flange 18a is provided forthe outer container and is adapted to be attached by its flange to theflange 16b of the peripheral shell. A bottom end wall 20 having a flange20a is adapted to be secured by the flange to the flange 14a of theperipheral shell 14 of the inner container.

As indicated in the drawings and for purposes including those outlinedabove, the walls of the inner container are of relatively thinnermaterial than the walls of the outer container.

As shown in FIGURE 3 the object support means comprises the supportshelf 22 adapted to support the equip ment or other test object beingsubjected to the space environment. The object support means alsoincludes a plurality of rigid columns 24 and a cross-shaped spider 26 towhich the columns are secured. Each element of the spider 26 as shown inFIGURE 4 has a T-shaped cross section and as shown in FIGURE 3 ispreferably concave upwardly to conform more or less to the curvature ofthe inner container bottom end wall 20. The end of each piece of thecross-shaped spider 26 is supported in the disassembled condition shownin FIGURE 3 by holding means secured to the shell of the outer chamber.As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 this means may comprise a pair of parallelspaced ears 28, the vertical portion of the T being disposed between theears and pinned as by pins 26a. The pins preferably are press fittedinto holes in the vertical portion and are received in openings in theears 28. On one set of ears the openings are slots 28a to allow forexpansion and contraction of the spider. The spider 26 is shorter thanthe diameter of the shell to allow play for assembly in the shell aswell as expansion. The holding means at the other end of the spider 26may comprise parallel clips 34 (FIG. 6) between which the ends are held,in the bottom-loading variation shown, against vertical displacement.

It should be understood that by virtue of the arrange ment shown thespider 26 and consequently the shelf 22 is held relative to the shellagainst movement in all direc tions. Hence the chamber may be invertedor disposed on its side and the support function of the shelf will notbe impaired. At the same time the spider is allowed ample room to expandand contract relative to the shell.

The T-shape cross section of the spider is shown as an example only. Itshould be understood that the spider could be fabricated from standardbar stock.

In the preferred version the holding means comprising the ears 28 andpads 34 are secured to the peripheral shell of the outer container atthe removable section 16 above the bottom end wall of the outercontainer 18.

The columns 24 supporting the shelf 22 extend through flanged openings30 in the bottom end wall of the inner container. The openings in theseflanged openings are large enough to permit free vertical movement ofthe columns 24 relative thereto. Bellows seals 32 are provided from thetop of each flanged opening to a point adjacent the top end of eachcolumn and assure maintenance of vacuum conditions without leakagethrough the flanged openings.

A framework 49 is secured to the underside of the wall 18. Thisframework 40 is provided with wheels 42 for horizontal movability.

In assembly the test object is secured to the shelf 22, the assemblyincluding the framework 40, the bottom end walls 18 and 20 and spool 16with the spider 26 supported therein is raised until the flanges 12a and16a engage. These flanges are bolted together. Subsequently the bottomend wall 18 is lowered, the shelf 22 and the inside bottom end wall 20being supported by the spider 26 in engagement with the ears 28 and pads34. The flanges 20a and 14a are then bolted together to secure the endwall 20 on the inner shell 14. Subsequently the bottom end wall 18 israised until the flanges 16b and 18a may be bolted tight. The weight ofthe shelf 22 and the test object thereon is borne by spider 26 and theouter nd wall 18, the framework 40 and the wheels 42 and he platform onwhich they rest. Thus none of the weight )f the test object or shelf 22is borne by the light inner nd wall 20.

The assembly procedure is the same whether the cham- Jer is as shown, isinverted or is on its side. The objectives )f thestructure remain thesame in all these variations: iamely avoidance of. placing of stress onthe inner cham- J61 walls and achievement of sealing of the inner cham-Jer end wall prior to scaling of the outer chamber end wall.

The term pressure vessel vessel adapted to enclose a Zone ofsuperpressures.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or central attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather thanthe foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A space simulation chamber comprising an inner and a relatively moresubstantial outer container, each container having a peripheral shelland a removable end wall, the end wall of the inner container having anopening therein, the outer container having spider holding means securedthereto, test object support means in the inner chamber and including acolumn extending through said opening and a spider secured to saidcolumn beneath the end wall of the inner container, and sealing meansincluding bellows sealingly extending from about said opening betweenthe end wall of the inner container and the support means.

2. A space simulation chamber as described in claim 1 wherein saidspider holding means is secured to a removable spool comprising part ofthe peripheral shell of the outer container.

3. A space simulation chamber as described in claim 1 wherein the spideris of shorter dimension than the diameter of the outer container and theholding means holds the spider axially relative to the axis of the outerconas used herein means a or sub-ambient tainer but permits expansionand contraction of the spider.

4. A space simulation chamber as described in claim 3 wherein theholding means includes pin means penetrating each end of the spiderrespectively and securing one end against any movement relative to theshell of the outer container and permitting the opposite end axialmovement relative to the axis of the spider along said end.

5. A space simulation chamber as described in claim 4 wherein theholding means on the said opposite end includes a slotted structurereceiving said pin means.

6. A pressure vessel as described in claim 1 wherein said containersdefine a relatively thin walled inner container and a relatively thickwalled outer container enclosing the inner container, each having itsremovable end wall at the bottom thereof, and wherein the object supportmeans in said inner container extends through the opening in the bottomend wall of the inner container for support through said spider andspider holding means by the shell of the outer container.

7. A pressure vessel as described in claim 6 wherein said spider holdingmeans are secured to the outer container above the bottom end wall ofthe outer container and hold against vertical movement the objectsupport means but permit expansion of the support means as it undergoestemperature variations.

3. A pressure vessel as described in claim 7 wherein the outer containerhas above its bottom end wall an annular removable section of its shellto which the spider holding means are secured.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,011,674 12/1961 Jackson 220-3,044,607 7/ 1962 Hopper 220-15 XR 3,101,861 8/1963 Mearns et a1 220 103,224,277 12/ 1965 Cham-berlin et al. 73432 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, PrimaryExaminer.

R. W. WEIG, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SPACE SIMULATION CHAMBER COMPRISING AN INNER AND A RELATIVELY MORESUBSTANTIAL OUTER CONTAINER, EACH CONTAINER HAVING A PERIPHERAL SHELLAND A REMOVABLE END WALL, THE END WALL OF THE INNER CONTAINER HAVING ANOPENING THEREIN, THE OUTER CONTAINER HAVING SPIDER HOLDING MEANS SECUREDTHERETO, TEST OBJECT SUPPORT MEANS IN THE INNER CHAMBER AND INCLUDING ACOLUMN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND A SPIDER SECURED TO SAIDCOLUMN BENEATH THE END WALL OF THE INNER CONTAINER, AND SEALING MEANSINCLUDING BELLOWS SEALINGLY EXTENDING FROM ABOUT SAID OPENING BETWEENTHE END WALL OF THE INNER CONTAINER AND THE SUPPORT MEANS.